


Cosmic Love

by Boldly_Gone



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Kidnapping, M/M, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Protective Erik, Shaw is Creepy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-22
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-13 09:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 18,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1221538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boldly_Gone/pseuds/Boldly_Gone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik stands on the beach of Cuba, holding the missiles still in the air and completely prepared to destory the humans. Charles says the only thing he hopes will stop him: "I'm pregnant."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"No! Don't do this! Erik!"

Charles Xavier pounded his fist against the wall of the crashed Blackbird as he felt his partner's mind become suddenly cut off from his own. Violence was not in his nature, yet now he felt it was necessary. Two of his fingers were still pressed to his temple, still controlling Sebastian Shaw. He could see Erik in his mind, viewing him from Shaw's perspective. What was he doing? Erik seemed to be reaching into his pocket for something.

_Oh god. The coin. Please, Erik...No._

Charles could hear Erik talking, not that the telepath could concentrate on what he was saying. Nerves and anticipation began to consume him as he watched Erik use his powers to levitate the coin, the object suddenly flying towards Shaw. Charles gasped and screamed, evidently knocking his concentration in such a drastic manner that Shaw was released from his telepathic grip. The telepath fell onto his knees, eyes distant and glazed. Moira was quick to his side, calling his name. Erik had heard the scream of Charles from inside the submarine, even with the helmet on. He blinked, tears falling away, and the man stood opposite to him blinking unexpectedly back. The coin fell to the floor sharply as both men stood in silence. Shaw eventually gave out first and collapsed to his knees, his eyes closing quickly. Erik approached the fallen man apprehensively.

_Still alive, dammit!_

Something must have happened to Charles...something bad. As quickly as he could, he brought down all the metal he could on top of Shaw, hoping that it would be enough to hold him down for the time being. He forced his way out of the submarine, literally; his arms flailed around him as he wrecked what he could. Eventually, he reached the end of the corridor and blew a hole in the wall, leaping out and landing onto the beach below. Erik's eyes darted around desperately, trying to find his telepath. He saw Moira and Alex helping Charlea walk out of the wreckage of their aircraft. He looked terrible, exhausted even. Was Erik was responsible for his exhaustion? The metal kinetic began to walk forward to meet them when suddenly the humans open-fired their missiles towards the beach. All the mutants seemed to gasp in unison, all except Erik. He stepped forward, helmet still placed proudly on his head, reaching his arm out to stop the missiles in their path. He twisted his wrist slowly, changing the weapons direction. He would've thrown them back there and then, had it not been for Charles calling out to him.

"Erik, please, don't!" The telepath limped forward as fast as his damaged body could carry him. Erik's heart cried for him, though his facial expression did not show the thriving emotion he had developed for Charles. "Please!"

Erik stood facing the army ships, not wanting to look at his injured telepath.

"Give me one reason as to why I should stop." He almost spat the words out of his mouth. The humans deserved this.

Charles hesitated for a second, before giving Erik the only he knew reason would stop him.

"I'm pregnant." Erik turned his head to look at Charles, who began to shake with nerves. The metal kinetic said nothing; even his facial expression remained neutral. The only movement was of the missiles: exploding in the air above them, Charles then sensing the relief of the soldiers on board the army ships.

_Please, say something, Erik._

"Well, isn't this touching!" All of the mutants turned to see Shaw standing on the exit-hole of the submarine which Erik had conveniently created. He leapt down, Azazel, Riptide and Angel all moving to stand with him. "You must be Charles Xavier, the powerful telepath who can evidently produce offspring!" Shaw clasped his hands together and smiled mockingly at the couple in front of him. Erik had moved into protective mode: he'd forced Charles to stand behind him and began to move away from Shaw.

Hank, Alex and Sean stood huddled together with Raven and Moira next to the fallen Blackbird, unsure of whether to become involved. They were feeling a little too shocked to intervene. _Charles and Erik are gay?_

"I take it Mr Lehnsherr here is the father? Simply marvellous." Before anyone had the chance to say anything, Shaw gave a discreet nod to Azazel, who disappeared then reappeared behind Erik, grabbing Charles around the neck. The telepath managed to spit out a panicked "Erik" before the demon transported him to stand with Shaw. Immediately, Erik began to stride over to them when Sebastian shook his finger at him. Azazel's tail wrapped itself around Charles' neck, the demons hands then gripping the telepath's stomach forcefully, stopping Erik in his tracks. He heard Raven scream Charles' name from behind him. "There's a good lad," Shaw laughed, "no doubt this child of yours will be extremely powerful." Erik scowled, unsure of his next move: Azazel's demon-like tail was still wrapped around the telepath's neck and Erik could clearly see that Charles was beginning to slip away "Oh, and don't worry," the man placed one of his hands on Charles' head, entwining his fingers in the dark curls, "I'll take good care of them both." Just before Azazel teleported them all away, Erik saw Charles mouth his name to him before his eyes slipped shut. Shaking with a mixture of rage and sadness, the metal kinetic sunk to the sand, punching the ground furiously. He grabbed the helmet from his head and tossed it aside with an angered yell. A warm hand placed itself on his shoulder: Raven.

"It's okay," she whispered, "we'll find him. Don't worry." Erik could feel the stare of Moira MacTaggart burning through his skull. He didn't need to be a telepath to know that she didn't approve of them being together. Hank, Alex and Sean, however, all hobbled forward to stand with the pair.

"So...you and the professor are together?" Alex asked shakily. Erik nodded. "And he's pregnant?"

"It would seem so." Erik smiled briefly at the thought of their child, before that smile slipped off of his face.

The mutants stood in an awkward silence for a few seconds, before Hank spoke. "...We will find him, Erik. If Shaw wants to utilize the baby's power then he won't have taken him anywhere dangerous."

Once again, Erik said nothing, he only turned around to face the oncoming sunset, the humans still occupying the raging waters in front of him. His deep eyes became tearful as the morbid thought of Charles and his child being in the clutches of Sebastian Shaw. He'd found Shaw once; he could find him again. Although, this time, Erik knew that the point between rage and serenity wasn't going to suffice.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Charles noticed when he regained consciousness was that he was lying in a _bed;_ a warm, comfortable bed. Thought his surroundings seemed too damn quiet for his liking. He began to stretch out using his telepathy; a desperate attempt to latch onto someone's mind. Nothing but complete silence. _Dammit._ Protesting against his throbbing head, he sat up slowing, feeling that he wasn't being restrained in any way. Charles realised that his yellow suit had been removed and now lay over the back of a chair to his right. His chest was bare and a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms occupied his bottom half. _Strange._ The room he was locked in was relatively small and empty; no furniture apart from the bed he was lying in, a small, rounded table and matching chair to the right. Whoever had designed the room, obviously had a fetish for black décor. A wave of nausea suddenly rushed through him and Charles had to throw his hand over his mouth to prevent him from throwing up. _Of course: the baby._ Gingerly, he moved his hand down to his abdomen, where a slight bump was starting to develop. Fear suddenly washed over him when the sound of the door opening echoed throughout the empty room, a man in a helmet entering. Charles rubbed his abdomen as Shaw strode in and took a standing position at the end of the bed.

"I trust you slept well," the man said, staring at Charles intensely.

The telepath didn't reply.

"Oh, come now, Charles," Shaw teased, "after my generous hospitality, is that anyway to thank me?"

Charles scowled, keeping his gaze on Shaw as the man made his way around to the side of the bed. "Thank _you_? One does not thank their kidnapper."

"Don't be like that, we're going to have lots of fun together." He sat down on the bed. "Your experience will be painless, I can assure you, but only if you cooperated and do things _my way."_

Although Shaw had the helmet on, Charles could see in the man's cold eyes that he meant to use his baby and turn it into some sort of weapon of mass destruction. He wouldn't allow that to happen. He had to try and escape somehow. The door was on the other side of the room. There was no way he could get out without Shaw attacking him.

"I know what you're thinking, Charlie, and you can forget any thoughts of trying to escape." Before Charles would protest, Shaw was leaning over him and grabbing his forearm. Charles struggled but Shaw was already pressing a finger to the telepath's temple. A quick flash of stored energy was released, knocking Charles out cold.

X...X

Everything seemed to have happened in a blur after the beach. Erik wasn't convinced that any of it was reality. Moira, much to her dislike, had managed to contact one of her CIA associates who'd sent back-up to rescue them. In the helicopter, Erik sat staring out of the window whilst the others began to whisper amongst themselves. No doubt about him and Charles being _together._ Raven, on the other hand, gripped his hand tightly, caressing it with her thumb. Erik knew she was only being caring but he didn't _want_ that right now. He was desperate to begin his search for Shaw and find Charles...and their child. It felt so joyous to think that he and the telepath were going to be parents but that happy thought was soon swept away by the thought of Shaw torturing Charles in order to get their child. No doubt it would be a mutant and no doubt Shaw would use its power against the human race. No, Erik simply would not allow that to happen.

Now back in the Xavier mansion, Erik sat alone in Charles' study, all the recent newspapers scattered around the desk. His eyebrows were knitted furiously together as he picked through every article, searching for any clue that would lead him to Herr Doktor. He'd been searching for hours and no leads had presented themselves to him yet. Erik sighed solemnly, as he stood from the desk and, with a flick of his wrist, the door opened for him. He didn't know where he was walking to and, quite frankly, he didn't care. He desperately needed to find Charles but there were just no clues anywhere as to where Shaw would take him.

_God dammit think, Erik. Think!_

The metal manipulator had walked downstairs into the main living room, finding Hank and Raven sat watching something on the TV set.

"Erik," Raven said, "I think you need to see this."

He moved to sit next to her on the sofa and listened to the news report.

_BREAKING NEWS: The covert CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia has been destroyed. It is believed to have been an arson attack, with the perpetrator setting the building ablaze after breaking one of the mutant prisoners out. It is unclear of who is to blame yet governments are almost convinced that the new societies of mutants are behind the attack. We will keep you up to date with this news story._

Erik blinked. _Shaw._ It had to be: he had obviously broken Emma Frost out of her cell to use her against Charles. He stood up furiously and began to storm to the door when Raven stopped him.

"Erik, wait! Charging to the scene of the crime isn't going to work. You'll get the blame!"

"There could be clues there as to where Shaw is holding Charles."

Hank stood moved to stand with Raven. "She's right, Erik. The place will be swarming with police officers and journalists. Its far too dangerous."

The metal manipulator glared at them.

"Then we're coming with you!" Raven's toned of voice suddenly became sharper.

"No," Erik said calmly, "I won't allow you to. I have to consider what Charles would want and I _know_ he wouldn't want either of you to get hurt."

With that, Erik stormed upstairs to his room, grabbed his readily-packed briefcase and set off for Virginia before anyone had time to stop him. He prayed this trip would have more of a positive outcome than a negative one.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, the time between Shaw killing Darwin and the Cuban Missile crisis was about 3 months. I know it wasn't anywhere near that but I needed to alter it for it fit in and make sense properly ^__^

Hank had been correct: the demolished building that had been the CIA Headquarters was surrounded by police, who were currently forcing journalists off of the site. Erik pushed his way through the crowds, eventually getting to the front where he came face-to-face with a tall, gruff police officer.

"No one past this point, please sir," the man said in a harsh tone. Erik sighed; he really wasn't in the mood for arguing, especially with a man twice his size. Instead, he turned to a male reporter standing next to him. Erik gestured, using his head, towards the wreckage and acted completely innocent.

"What the hell happened?"

The small reporter shook his head. "No one knows for sure," he said, "apparently it looks like some sort of hurricane tore though it."

Erik's mind processed the information: _Shaw and Riptide._

"What did they take?"

The reporter shrugged. "Not much, I don't think. They just released one of the CIA's top-secret prisoners. Not to mention all the weird esting equipment the CIA kept hidden at this place. Apart from that, nothing else."

Erik smiled half-heartedly but as he turned to walk away, the journalist called back to him. "Oh! And that big machine they kept in the back. Some sort of tracking device, I believe"

The metal manipulator's heart skipped a beat; Shaw had the testing equipment _and_ Cerebro.

The nightmare of Charles and their baby being hurt by Shaw that was haunting him was quickly becoming a very harsh reality.

X...X

Charles awoke to the loud sound of a machine beeping. To his dismay, he found that he was no longer in that comfortable bed. Instead, he lay on what seemed to be a table, and a cold one at that. Feeling the leather straps around his chest, ankles and wrists, Charles' mind went into a state of panic. Tensing his whole body, he could now feel several wires attached to his abdomen and temples. He clenched his eyes shut, not wanting to see the environment he was now in. Consequently, the beeping of the machines became louder and more frequent. Why had he been moved? What if something had happened to his child while he had been unconscious? He heard the sound of door hinges creaking open and two sets of footsteps nearing him. A cold yet soothing hand placed itself on his forehead and his panic suddenly seemed to melt away. Another telepath was relaxing him? Charles found himself wanting to drift away into the darkness but, instead, he fought it, eventually managing to unclench his eyes and open them. He focused on the two figures above him.

"Have a nice nap, did we?"

 _Shaw._ Charles stayed silent. _"_ Come now, Charlie. Don't be impolite. You've met Miss Frost before."

Charles blinked furiously until his sight was no longer blurred; his gaze eventually locking onto Emma and Shaw who stood towering above him.

"You...you were taken by the CIA," Charles stuttered.

The female telepath waved a finger at him. "Afraid not, sugar. They _just_ don't seem to make those prisons to last." She stepped forward and pressed a finger to Charles' temple, just below where one of the wires was tapped. Images of the demolished CIA HQ building flooded into Charles' weak mind, causing his to gasp sharply. The _pain_ and _fear_ of the people who fled from the burning and collapsing infrastructure was too much to handle.

"Stop!" He begged. Surely this wasn't good for his own health, never mind his child's.

Emma turned to look at her associate, who gave a discreet nod of his head. Emma ceased, leaving the male telepath hyperventilating. Shaw stepped forward as Emma left the room. The man knelt down next to the weak telepath and began to entwine his fingers in the dark curls.

"You're probably wondering why you've had a slight room change, yes?"

Charles nodded, the words not wanting to form in his mouth.

"I know you were planning to escape: I could see the fear in your eyes. We simply couldn't take the risk. So, we moved you into this lovely room and strapped you down. Feel these wires?" Shaw tapped the thread attached to Charles' temple. "These monitor your brain activity and prevent you from using your telepathy. Genius stuff." Shaw's redundant hand reached across and placed itself onto Charles' bulging abdomen. "And these wires monitor the child's brain activity." The man's thumb began to caress the lump below it, unnerving Charles in such a way that his body tensed.

"I suppose you're worried about your baby's condition too?"

The telepath's body relaxed at the thought of him being told about his child. Although, he _should_ be being told by a proper doctor, in a nicer environment and Erik should be right by his side.

"You're about 2 and a half months along but the child is growing at a much faster rate than average. Most likely because of its powerful parents. "

Before Charles had the chance to ask any questions, Sebastian stood up suddenly and made his way over to the door. Just before he exited, he turned back to face the telepath.

"Oh, and you'll be pleased to know, it _is_ a mutant. Good thing too, otherwise there would be no point in keeping it."

With that, Shaw left and Charles was alone in the silence again. So many questions burned around in his head: what was his child's ability? When was his child going to be born? Why hadn't Shaw told him? _Where was Erik?_


	4. Chapter 4

5 months passed before Erik received any clues whatsoever regarding Shaw's location. Damn, that man knew how to hide. Moira MacTaggart had come rushing to Westchester one cold afternoon, seeking Raven. The two women went to speak privately in the living room with Erik trying his best to listen in. Typically, they had closed the door behind them, so he pressed his ear to the dark wood, concentrating hard.

"We've had word of a large machine being transported to Eastern Europe via the Russians. One of our boys was able to get a photo of what the machine looks like." Moira handed a large piece of paper to Raven. It depicted a roundly-shaped machine being loaded onto an aircraft.

"Cerebro?" Raven asked.

The human nodded. "It certainly looks like it. We were able to find out that it was being prepared for someone to use. Shaw, most likely. After all, a telepath is needed to work it."

"Then Europe is where we're going," Raven said in a triumphant manor. They both nodded simultaneously at one another and began to head for the door. Erik had heard the footsteps and had quietly and swiftly gone straight to his room, the room he shared with Charles for a brief period, and packed what supplies he'd need. If there was the slightest chance that that was where Shaw was holding Charles, then he was prepared to take the risk. He had no idea how far along Charles' pregnancy was, so he had to find him as quick as possible. A loud knock on the bedroom door suddenly disrupted his thoughts. Erik decided to ignore it, but the source of the noise entered without consent. Raven.

"Moira thinks she's found where Shaw's holding Charles," she said, trying to catch Erik's gaze.

"I know, I heard," was all the reply she got. The metal kinetic grabbed his coat and hat as well as picking up his briefcase in one swift sweep of his hand.

"I'm coming with you!" Raven suddenly jumped in his path, blocking the door.

Erik sighed angrily. "Get out of the way, Raven. Now."

Three other voices called out from behind the young girl. "We're coming too!" Raven turned around to see Hank, Alex and Sean stood staring at Erik.

"I don't think so," grunted Erik, accompanied with a brisk shake of his head.

"I really don't think you've got a say in this," Alex said, Hank and Sean nodding. Beast spoke next. "The Professor took us all in when _we_ needed help and now, he needs _our_ help."

Erik smirked. How loyal these kids had become in the short months they'd known Charles. It'd be touching, if Erik wasn't in such a foul mood.

"Very well. But I am _not_ taking all of you on a public plane. You'll drive me insane. We'll have to find some other way of getting to Europe."

Sean jumped. "No problem, we can borrow one of the planes from the CIA's airbase and Beast here," he patted Hank on the shoulder, "can modify it."

"We don't have the kind of time!" Erik snarled at the red-head.

"It wouldn't take _that_ long, Erik," Hank said, calmly, "4 days of solid working should do it. It's not like I have to start from scratch. Just engine work."

Erik didn't like this planat all but he had to try and be patient with the children. He could truly understand why they wanted to be of assistance to rescue their Professor, but 4 days? He supposed it was their best bet right now. After all, they may be useful in the final confrontation with Shaw and his associates.

"...very well. 4 days, Hank. If its not complete by then, I go alone. Understood?"

All 4 of the children nodded.

"Raven," the metal kinetic continued, "do you think you could convince Moira to allow us to use one of the CIA's aircrafts?"

The blue female smiled and nodded, then all the children went off to find the human, leaving Erik in his room.

 _Soon,_ he thought, soon he would have Charles and his child back in his arms and Shaw would be six-feet under.

X...X

Time is very difficult to keep track of when you have no contact with the outside world. Obviously there were a couple of small in Charles' room so he was able to tell when it was night and when it was day, but anything past that was impossible. Shaw had allowed him, for two sessions a day, to be unstrapped from the table and stretch his legs, the wires attached to his temples _must_ stay on, however. He was fed in those two sessions too, not that the food was much to be joyous about, especially not since cravings had started to settle in. _Ice cream. Oranges. Chocolate._ All the things he had taken for granted, it seemed.

One morning, Shaw came into the room in order to release Charles from his restraints and help him sit up and walk around. The baby had grown significantly within the last month. The telepath stretched his arms above his head as he stood up, groaning in the process. In most of the sessions, Shaw said nothing, which was why, this time, the sound of the man's voice took the telepath by surprise.

"We've found out the sex of the child, if you're interested." The tone of his voice still sounded morbid and unnerving.

Charles' eyes lit up with excitement. He knew Sebastian wasn't to be trusted, but he had been _dying_ to know the gender of his child. "Yes, of course."

"It's a boy," the man said.

_A boy, its a boy...  
_

"Thank you," Charles managed to choke out.

"Yes, well. I'm not _completely_ cruel. He's healthy too, which is _perfect."_

Deciding to throw caution to the wind, Charles asked if anything had been found out about the baby's abilities. Shaw stayed silent for a few moments, as if deciding about whether to answer or not. He shrugged.

"It won't hurt to tell you, I suppose. You can't do anything to stop my plans so, okay. It looks as if he's been trying to communicate with you through your telepathic bond, making him a telepath, obviously. But, your iron count in your blood has also been decreasing as a noticeable rate, which may mean he possesses some of his father's abilities. More tests need to be done...before my plans could be finalised."

Charles stayed silent, a smile occupying his young face. Shaw stared at the telepath. The young man's eyes hadn't sparkled like this in a long time; the colour of them became very surreal, so Shaw took note. Charles had been happy for long enough, so he pushed the telepath back down onto the table and the straps were pulled tight, not that Charles cared right now. He drifted off into sleep, feeling content, for once. He tried to project to Erik, knowing the machine and wires were stopping him.

_Erik, Erik. It's a boy...We're having a boy._


	5. Chapter 5

" _Erik, please. Calm your mind, my friend."_

_Erik slammed the motel door behind him and stomped towards his bed. He and Charles were on one of their first 'mutant recruitment' trips and it was not going according to plan. It was late and he was tired of being rejected by people they were trying to_ _**help.** _ _He couldn't understand why Charles wasn't angry. They had grown close during this trip, but Erik was being careful not to project any of his feelings out. The telepath told him to calm down again, complaining of a headache, but he didn't want to hear any of it._

" _For God's sake, Charles," the metal kinetic said, "I'm only saying what you're thinking. I don't think we should bother any more." He thrust his jacket off and tossed it aside.  
_

" _We're_ _ **helping**_ _people, Erik. If they don't want to join us, then that is their decision."_

_Erik sighed angrily, placing his hands on his hips. "How are you being so calm, anyway? I should think you'd be frustrated at these people. This whole thing was primarily your idea."_

_Charles didn't reply. He seemed too busy looking out of the old window.  
_

_Erik sighed_. " _Besides, identification is how it starts. These people don't wan-"_

_He was silenced by the pair of deep-red lips pressing against his. Erik shut his eyes dreamily. Charles broke away.  
_

_"I'I'm sorry. I didn't know why I did that," Charles stuttered, blushing._

_Erik stood still and blinked hard. In a swift movement, he bent down and kissed Charles again, cupping the telepath's cheek._

" _Erik, calm your mind," Charles managed to say while their lips were still preoccupied. Like suddenly being put under a spell, Erik was calm and so depended the kiss, not that Charles minded. Feeling bold and brave, Erik slowly wrapped his hands around the telepath's waist, Charles responding by placing his hands on the metal kinetic's chest, pushing him backwards onto the bed.  
_

Erik awoke abruptly, finding himself lying on Charles' side of the bed, still fully dressed. _A dream of our first night together._ Rolling over to his side, he looked at the clock. 2:14am. Groaning, he sat up and rubbed his eyes viciously. Hank had three days left to finish his _Blackbird II_ otherwise Erik would get to Eastern Europe by his own means. _Ukraine, Moira had specified,_ he remembered. He rose from the bed and walked sluggishly to the window, staring out into the night. Quiet, calm and peaceful. Certainly not a reflection of himself at this moment. A sudden wave of dizziness rushed through him and Erik was forced to support himself on the wall. His vision blurred and his ears rang with a piercing noise. What was that all about? Maybe he was hungry; he hadn't been able to eat much recently what with his Charles in the clutches of his _sinister creator._ Once the strange feeling had passed, Erik stumbled towards the door, grabbed his grey tracksuit top and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. As he approached the door, he could hear voices from inside, recognising them to be Alex and Sean.

"Mornin', sunshine," Alex mocked as he watched Erik walk to the fridge, the metal kinetic opening the door with his powers and staring blankly at its lack of content.

"Where's all the food?"

Sean smirked. "C'mon, Erik. Four teenagers in the house, 1 fridge and you're _really_ asking where all the food is."

The metal kinetic raised an eyebrow, "I figured you would have been mature enough to think ahead."

" _You're_ the oldest and it's _your_ responsibility to take care of us. With the Professor gone, it's your turn to play Mother Hen," Sean replied, winking at the older man.

Surprisingly, Erik grinned. "Yes," he agreed, "I suppose it is." With that, he made his way towards the back door and exited, leaving the two boys lost for words.

"I wasn't being _serious_ about him taking care of us, you know," Sean said, turning to face Alex.

" _I_ know that," the blonde replied, "I didn't expect him to react like that. I thought he'd flip his lid at us."

The red-head laughed. "That's kind of what I _wanted_ him to do." The teens shrugged at one another before setting off to the laboratory to see if they could get a better reaction from Hank.

X...X

The very second the words left his mouth, Erik could tell that his reaction to Sean's teasing had surprised both the teens. Obviously they had expected his retaliation to be something more on the aggressive side, but something in his mind told him he had to start acting more _fatherly._ After all, Charles was carrying his child so, he supposed, it wouldn't hurt to try his developing skills out on their current 'children', would it? He stumbled across the garden of the mansion, stopping in the place where he and Charles had sat one glorious afternoon after one of their _adventurous_ mutant recruitment trips...back when everything seemed so simple.

" _So you see, mutation took us from single-celled organisms to be the dominant form of reprodu-mmm, Erik!"_

_Quite obviously, Erik wasn't bothered about how mutation evolves or any of the scientific theories that Charles seemed obsessed with; he was only bothered about having the telepath's perfect lips on his for as much time as possible. His fingers entwined themselves in Charles' hair as he felt the telepath smile into their kiss._

" _You know," Charles managed to say, "anyone would think you were in love with me."_

_Erik smiled but gave no reply. He broke away from their kiss and sat staring at his lover, the telepath's eyes sparkling a supernatural blue. Without warning, Charles threw a hand up to his mouth and coughed violently, Erik immediately moving behind him to rub his back._

" _Must've been something I ate," Charles said, once he'd finished gagging._

" _Feel better?" Erik asked._

_Charles began to nod his head, but that nod soon became a shake as he began to dry-heave again. As carefully as he could, Erik picked up the smaller man and carried him inside, the telepath's head resting against Erik's strong shoulder. He slowly drifted off to sleep, knowing he would always be safe in Erik's arms._


	6. Chapter 6

Charles opened his eyes slowly as he lifted his head up , looking at his growing abdomen. Even without his telepathy, he could sense the baby's distress at something; he _desperately_ wanted to calm his son. The sound of the door creaking open filled his ears suddenly.

"Good morning, Charlie. Feeding time," Shaw mocked, as if the telepath was some sort of tame animal being kept in a zoo. The telepath smiled lightly, seeing as ungratefulness wasn't in his nature. As Shaw released him from the restraints, he made sure Charles' telepathy was still blocked by _that_ machine, the younger man groaning as moved. His back pained furiously but he supposed it was all part of the pregnancy. Though he felt he had been blessed with the gift of being able to carry a child, Charles couldn't help but complain of the discomfort caused by his condition. Shaw grabbed his arm to aid him into a seating position, much to Charles' dismay. Gingerly, the telepath took the bowl and spoon from the other man and began to eat; the 'food' that he was forced to eat was no doubt manufactured with all sorts of artificial ingredients to suit the baby's needs, and to ensure he grew to his full potential. As he swallowed each spoonful, Charles could feel Shaw watching him, a lot more than usual. The telepath averted his gaze from the bowl to the older man and blinked numerous times.

"You have exquisite eyes, Charles," Shaw whispered to him.

The telepath replied with a gentle smile and resumed eating. The tone with which Shaw said his name sent Charles' stomach upside-down, more than his son was doing. There was something about Shaw that genuinely unnerved him, besides the obvious factors like he was a kidnapper, a murderer and an insane idealist. Oh, how Charles wanted nothing more than to be back at Westchester, sitting at his grand dining table opposite Erik, eating a freshly prepared meal by candlelight. As cliché as it seemed to him, Charles' heart fluttered when he thought of Erik holding their son in his strong arms. In the mood he was currently in, Charles' could have sat and daydreamed of his metal-manipulator all day, but was ripped from his thoughts when Shaw spoke in that creepy tone again.

"I hope Erik appreciates what a magnificent possession he owns."

"I'm no ones _possession,"_ Charles uttered, "I may be _with_ Erik, but that by no means I _belong_ to him _."_

"What of your child, then? Does it not belong to you?"

Charles shuddered at the sound of Shaw calling his son 'it'. He, however, did not reply. He could already feel anger bubbling inside of him, but he must remain calm: for his sake and his child's. The men stayed in silence until Charles had finished his meal. Licking his lips, the telepath handed the empty bowl to the older man who was smiling cunningly.

"You look so _innocent,_ my young friend. Are you actually aware of the power you posses, Charles?"

The telepath shrugged. "I am aware of my potential, yes. But there is no need for it to be unlocked, my powers are fine as they are."

Shaw stood and glared down at the smaller man.

"Your unharnessed power could be used for the greater good!"

"By 'greater good' you mean _destruction, evil_ and _death_? I don't class that as good." Charles replied in a cheeky manor, something he would come to realise didn't impress Shaw.

Suddenly, out of nowhere it seemed, the telepath was on the floor as a result from a harsh slap from Shaw. He could already feel a bruise appearing on the side of his pale face. Shaw kicked him about a little and yelled on about how Charles was 'being ungrateful with the power he had been blessed with' and whatnot. Damn, that man packed a powerful punch. He felt a sudden rush of confusion overcome him, an emotion which Charles was convinced he wasn't feeling right now. Fearful and frustrated, yes but certainly not puzzled. The sound of a child crying suddenly filled his mind, and Charles realised that in his rage, Shaw's slap had caused one of the wires linking him to the machine to come unattached to his temple, enabling his telepathy. So the confusion was coming from his son? _Sshh, it's okay,_ Charles whispered mentally to his son's mind, calming the child immediately.

As only one of the wires had come away, only strong connections could be amplified. So, the telepath amplified the strongest connection he had: he mentally screamed out for Erik, calling the man's name over and over again. He hoped Erik wouldn't be too angry with him for penetrating his mind. It felt so comforting to feel Erik's mind again. He, and the link, was too weak to construct sentences so he settled for single words instead. _Please._ _ **Erik.**_ _Shaw. Help._

Their connection was stable for mere seconds when Shaw realised his mistake. _Damn helmet,_ he thought. If only he hadn't gone off track on one of his rants; he _knew_ he shouldn't have turned his back on this tricky telepath. Thinking quickly, he made up for his mistake by pressing a cold finger to Charles' warm forehead, releasing a burst of energy and knocking the telepath out cold..but not before Charles sent one final word though the connection.

X...X

Erik lay uncomfortably on the grass outside the mansion, watching the sun set in the distance. The sun reminded him of Charles at this time, beautiful and bright with so much power locked inside but so far away from him. The wind had begun to turn colder as the night drew closer, and the man realised he should probably make his way inside. After all, he would be no use in Charles' rescue if he was ill. He stood slowly, hearing a few of his bones crack in protest as he did so. He was about half-way back to the mansion when a powerful wave of emotion overcame him, knocking his sense of balance off. Erik's knees almost crumbled beneath him, but he managed to remain standing when he realised who was causing his dizziness. _Charles._ His voice was so distinctive, even through their mental link. The metal-kinetic's heart jumped at the sound of his lover's voice and at the reassurance that he was, indeed, still alive. The words were coming through in blocks, it seemed, rather than full sentences. Erik felt he couldn't complain; he was so grateful to be able to hear Charles' voice again, even if it was penetrating his mind. _Please. Love._ _ **Erik.**_ _Shaw. Help._

Charles sounded so desperate, god dammit. The way he had uttered his name sounded as if it had been said through gritted teeth.

The sequence of words repeated itself in his mind as he stood outside the mansion, where he and Charles had trained for the first time. Suddenly, his mind became silent again; empty. _Charles? Come back! Please!_ Erik shut his eyes tightly and pressed his clenched fists to his temples, desperately trying to reach out to Charles: he called his lover's name in his mind, but all attempts were futile. He sighed forcefully and turned towards the mansion when he felt his telepath's presence in his mind again, this time a single word was said before Charles disappeared again:

_Son._

Though the word wasn't powerful, the sheer emotion conveyed through it nearly knocked Erik off his feet. _Son?,_ he thought, _we have a son?_ Unsure of his emotions at this moment, Erik sprinted back into the house, nearly knocking Raven over as he leapt though the kitchen.

"Whoa!" She shouted, holding her hands up to halt him, "where's the fire?"

"Charles just tried to communicate with me; I heard his voice in my mind as clear as daylight."

"What? What did he say?" Raven became overcome with joy; her brother was alive!

"Not much, just a few words and-" Erik stopped when the thought of the word 'son' made him smile, showing all of his teeth. "And he said ' _son_ ' just before the link broke."

Raven gasped, but in a positive way. "A _son?_ So you're going to have a _baby boy?"_

Erik could only nod, as it would seem that he was tearing up. He, the great Erik Lehnsherr,was crying. Unsure of what Erik was actually feeling, Raven decided to throw caution to the wind and embrace the metal manipulator. For Erik, it soothed him; Raven was almost the same height as Charles so if felt comforting to feel someone of the proportion around him. He had to remain calm: Hank was a head of schedule modifying his _Blackbird II_ and Charles was okay, for now.

Though, later that night, he found that sleep eluded him again, only this time the sound of Charles' voice haunted him. _Please, Erik. Help me!_ The metal manipulator was convinced he could hear the sound of a child crying in the background of Charles' words. Or maybe he was going mad. After the last couple of months, anything seemed possible.

Erik rolled over onto his telepath's favoured side of the bed and pulled the sheets up to his naked torso. The rain pattered against the window frame, the wind accompanying it. Eventually, Erik found himself drifting into sleep, dreaming of his telepath.

_Erik raced down the bleak and winding corridor, following the cries of his telepath. Charles was in pain, he didn't need to be a telepath to sense his discomfort. A light shone out from a room at the end of the corridor, Erik throwing himself into the room without thinking. He found himself suddenly outdoors, stood on some sort of cliff edge, overlooking a vast gorge. Across the large gap, on another cliff, a man stood with his back to the metal manipulator, his arm outstretched and a menacing helmet occupying his head. Erik's strong gaze locked onto a figure huddled on the cold floor in front of the helmeted man. The small figure was shaking with fear, his weak arms wrapped around a blanket.  
_

" _Erik!" Charles shouted, startling the young baby he held tightly in a vice-like grip, causing the child to cry loudly._

_The helmeted man turned around to face Erik._

" _Kleinen Erik Lehnsherr!" Sebastian Shaw laughed, causing Erik to step closer to the edge with a confident stride. Shaw tutted at him just as some of the rock fell away and down into the deep gorge below. Charles and their son cried out in unison as Shaw turned back to face them, outstretching his arm, projecting terrifying images to both of them. Erik stood, helpless, on the other side of the drop. He **needed** to get to the other side, now! Taking steps back, he charged at the edge of the cliff and leapt off with all his might. He stretched his arm out ready to grab onto the cliff edge but, to his dismay, was suddenly grabbed by a his forearm by a human hand instead. _

" _Erik, you should know better than to try and outsmart me," Shaw mocked. The older man turned away, making sure Erik could get a glimpse of Charles and their child. The telepath's eyes were closed, his forehead pressed against the baby's. Were those **bruises** Erik could see on Charles' face? _

" _Don't worry Erik," Shaw leant closer to the metal manipulator so that his mouth was parallel to the younger man's ear, "I'll take raise the child like it were my own and Charles will make such an exquisite possession._ _Lebewohl, Erik Lehnsherr."_

_Shaw's strong grip on Erik's arm was suddenly released and Erik found himself slipping and finally falling into the deep gorge below, hearing Charles and his son scream for him before everything turned to complete darkness._


	7. Chapter 7

Erik jolted awake suddenly, realising he must've fallen onto the floor at some point during his nightmare. Shivering, he pushed himself off of the hard surface and sat down on the edge of the bed. He glanced at the clock on his bedside table; 3.19am. He really didn't know how much more he could take; struggling through each day with the knowledge that Shaw was _torturing_ Charles and their son.

_Son._

Erik smiled. As much as his body ached for revenge on Shaw, he couldn't help the little jump his stomach did whenever he thought about Charles and himself caring for a tiny baby boy. Grinning a shark-like smile, Erik rose from the bed and walked towards the door, grabbing his grey hooded jacket before he closed the door behind him. He strolled solemnly down the corridors of the Westchester estate with no planned destination in mind. Eventually, he found himself at the large entrance to Hank's lab, a room which no one seemed to enter without permission. Without a second thought, Erik entered the room, making no effort to silence his entrance. The lab was dully lit, a few table lamps scattered the desks which were the only source of light. Erik glanced around.

"Hank?" He called.

The young mutant emerged from behind one of the desks at the far side of the lad, glasses slipping down his nose.

"A little late for visiting, don't you think?"

Erik smiled slightly and nodded. "I was coming to enquire on the progress of the – erm, what did you call it?- _Blackbird II_?"

Hank yawned, which sounded more like a growl to Erik's ears. "Almost. I believe another few hours on it should do it, the engine has been giving me a few pro-"

"Did you say ' _hours'?"_ Erik threw his hands up in front of Hank's face.

"Er, yeah."

"Then what _the hell_ are we doing here? If you're so close to finishing then we need to get it done and get to Charles _now_ _!"_

Metallic objects all around the lab began to shake as Erik's temper grew shorter and his patience wore thin.

"Erik, you have to understand: if something goes wron-"

" _ **Now**_."

Hank, having a lot of common sense, decided it really wasn't worth arguing with a metal manipulator, not in a lab-based environment anyway. He nodded and shifted back towards the rear of the room, grabbing a large metal container marked 'X' and bringing it forward. He set it down in front of Erik. The older man flicked his wrist and the box opened, revealing their yellow suits.

"I kept them safe," Hank said, with a smile.

"Alright," Erik replied, "get ready to set off to the Airbase. I'll gather everyone else."

The pair nodded and set off to complete their tasks, Erik feeling riled up and ready for revenge.

X...X

Emma Frost sat alone in the large living room of Shaw's hidden base, a slender glass of alcohol occupying her left hand. Her boss had handed the glass hastily to her just as he'd left to check on the _other_ telepath. Miss Frost was _not_ jealous of the male telepath, most certainly not. It was more envy _,_ than jealousy; after all, she was no longer Shaw's favourite mind-reader. She didn't even see the big attraction with Charles: she'd easily kept him from entering her mind when they met in Russia. So what if he could bare children? So could she. Emma frowned hard. Still being Shaw's right-hand woman, she was fully aware of what the man had planned for Charles' ' _oh so special'_ baby boy..and she didn't like it. It seemed so damn _cruel._ He was only an innocent child, he hadn't actually done anything against Shaw...

' _No,'_ she thought, shaking off any negative thoughts. Her alliance was 100% with Shaw, and it was going to stay that way. Elegantly knocking back the remainder of the alcohol, Miss Frost stood up and walked out of the room and down the winding corridor towards two large, wooden double doors. The voices of the workers and the clattering of materials could be heard as she got closer. By the sounds of the workers' thoughts, Shaw's machine would be ready in 36 hours.

X...X

Charles groaned himself back into consciousness with gritted teeth. His left eye pounded with pain as he attempted to open it. As he tried to flex his aching muscles, Charles found himself to be even more constricted than before with a heavy helmet now occupying his head, restricting his abilities. He tries to overcome the machine, to reach out to sense his son, but Charles is soon met with a sharp electric shock. Shaking it off, he glances down at his abdomen, noticing that even _more_ wires and threads are attached to him, monitoring his son, no doubt. Panicking for his baby's well-being, the telepath begins to fidget about in an attempt to break free of the binds.

"You can wriggle all you want, Charlie. You're not getting out."

Charles can only manage to move his gaze towards Shaw, his head movements being stopped by the dammed helmet.

"Shaw, _please,"_ Charles begs, "this isn't necessary."

The older man steps forward, the telepath noticing Shaw's head is missing his helmet.

"On the contrary, my young friend, this is completely necessary." He towers above the telepath intimidatingly, and taps the contraption on Charles' head.

"Don't even _think_ about getting out of that. Use your telepathy, you get shocked. _Literally._ Not good for you or your _precious_ son." Shaw begins to chuckle manically as he walks out of the room, leaving Charles to drown in the silence.


	8. Chapter 8

Raven, Alex, Hank and Sean stood together at the air base, all suited up and half-asleep. Moira stood opposite them, arms folded.

"It's 5:30am. It's really not _that_ early," she stated, raising her eyebrows.

Sean scoffed and Alex moaned, the red-head lolling his head to one side to rest on Alex's shoulder. The team heard footsteps and alerted themselves, knowing that Erik wouldn't approve of their tiredness.

"We're all set," the metal manipulator said bluntly, his voice expressing no emotion, "let's go."

Without uttering another word, the team followed Erik to Hank's _Blackbird II._ Everyone boarded accordingly, Erik making sure everyone was on. Raven stopped to talk to Erik before getting on.

"I know how much Charles means to you," she started, "but promise me you won't just charge in, all guns blazing, without thinking about it first. If Shaw somehow manages to capture you too, we'll be useless. Charles wouldn't want you getting hurt, and you know he wouldn't."

Erik smiled at her; for a young girl, Raven spoke with such authority and reassurance. So much so that her little speech actually made Erik feel less angry.

"It's okay, Raven," he said, "thank you." She smiled back at him and the pair boarded the plane, Erik following her. They strapped themselves in as Hank ignited the engine, the plane roaring into life. It sounded much more powerful than the previous model and as it pulled out of the airbase and took off into the sky, Erik felt slightly proud of Hank for making such a machine. His fatherly instincts must be beginning to kick in, he thought.

X...X

Shaw strutted down the corridor of his base, a spring in his step. His ingenious plan had _worked;_ capturing the World's most powerful telepath _and_ his bastard offspring. Perfect. He approached the two large, wooden double doors at the end of the winding corridor. They flew open with the slightest touch, revealing a room packed full of workers. Shaw practically danced into the room up to the head labourer.

"Progress?" Shaw enquired.

"12 hours ahead of schedule, sir," the small man replied, "another 24 and it should be fully calibrated and ready for use."

"The telepath should be prepared quite soon, then?"

"Yes, sir," the worker nodded, his dirty glasses slipping down his freckle-covered nose, "as soon as possible, really. The child will need to be at least a few hours old."

Shaw smiled and turned, ready to walk away. "Then prepare him. Do whatever is necessary. _Now."_ He left the room, feeling incredibly satisfied with himself. The head labourer scouted his vision across the crowded room quickly, spotting the man he was searching for.

"Dr. Engel!" He called, waving the other man over. "You're needed in Room 24A. It's time."

X...X

Charles hadn't realised he'd been drugged until he regained consciousness and realised he was lying in a different room; both cleaner and warmer. He found an oxygen mask had been attached around his head, steadying his breathing. His eyelids felt heavy, the telepathy-preventing contraption still strapped firmly to his head. Charles tried to look around, forcing his gaze around the room and trying to ignore the pounding headache. A wide, blue curtain cut his line of vision off from his lower half. He couldn't see his swelling abdomen. He couldn't see his son.

_What the hell is going on?_

He saw two men and two women standing with their backs to him on the other side of the sterilised room, hearing the clanging of metal tools and recognising one of the men to be Shaw. All four of them turned simultaneously in an intimidating manor. The group all had surgical gloves and masks on, the realisation of what was going on hitting Charles like a tonne of bricks.

_A Caesarean Section? Oh my God...no no no, it's too early. They **can't.** _

The telepath twisted and struggled underneath the leather binds that held him down, not wanting to put his son through the trauma of being introduced to the World in this horrific way. One of the midwives was pushed forward by Shaw, the woman hesitantly forcing a needle into Charles' arm, the sedative taking over his mind and body. The telepath felt his muscles being forced to relax against his will, the fear and anxiety of what was about to unfold felt like it was filling his veins. He screamed out words in his mind like ' _no, no, Erik, please'_ over and over but trying with the remainder of his strength not to use his powers in case of electric shocks from the machine on his head.

"That drug should hold him whilst we carry out the procedure," Dr. Engel told Shaw who acknowledged with a nod, "we are ready to begin." The Doctor's voice shook, most likely from having Shaw stood towering over him.

"Then proceed," Sebastian replied with a harsh and determined tone.

Charles felt a sharp pinch in his lower back as he lost all feeling in the bottom half of his body, the feeling of anxiety clogging his upper half. The sedative kept his panic under control, however, but it wasn't powerful enough to prevent his dynamic mind from reeling with terror. What if something went _wrong?_ What in the _hell_ were they planning to do with his child? Charles' mind tried to eliminate all negative thoughts and think positively as the sound of metal clanked together, the three doctors all whispering things to each other as the operation went on. Shaw stared at the telepath for the majority of the setup, his gaze averting to Charles' abdomen every now and again. Charles tried to imagine Erik sitting next to him, grasping his cold, shaking hand and telling him that everything's fine; everything was going to work out the way things should...the way they deserve. The telepath allowed the tears he'd held back to fall from his brilliant blue eyes, as his head rolled to the side, the tears rolling straight down his pale cheeks and over his freckled nose.

The sudden cry of his son was the last thing the telepath heard before the final dose of the sedative took over his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

The _Blackbird II_ sped towards its destination with its nervous passengers on board.Moira had managed to find the exact coordinates of where the site where the Russians had dropped off _Cerebro_ and handed it over to Shaw. An old and currently unused Soviet base on the southcoast of Ukraine.

Erik suddenly became _overwhelmed_ with emotion. A mixture of confusion, love and longing swept through him like a tidal surge, causing his eyes to brim with tears. The sound of a child crying filled his ears.

"It's happened..." He whispered, his expression looking like he was daydreaming.

"Erik? What's wrong?" Raven asked from her seat opposite him with a concerned tone to her usually calm voice.

The man blinked, a few tears spilling onto his cheeks. "The baby. The birth. He's here."

" _What?"_ All of the passengers asked in unison all besides Hank, who had problems of his own. The plane veered sideways as a large _BOOM_ sound came from the left-hand side of the aircraft, Beast roaring as he tried to regain control.

"What's going on, Hank?" Alex shouted, clinging onto his seat.

"It's the engine," Beast roared back, "I had to rush it! Something's wrong!"

The passengers of the aircraft all shouted as the _Blackbird II_ spun out of control, Beast trying his best to bring it under control and land it safely. The coordinates had been messed up in the chaos, so no one had any ideas where they were. As the plane hurdled towards the ground at incredible speed, Erik prayed to some higher power that he would survive this and see Charles and his son...and kill Shaw for all the pain and anguish he's caused.

X...X

Charles came to slowly, pain searing in his abdomen. He attempted to lift his head, but he became distracted by the difference in view. The ceiling had changed...and so had the smell. He sat up quickly, overcoming the dizziness and finding that he was no longer strapped to a table. Instead, he lay on a relatively comfortable bed in the room he was in when first taken by Shaw, with no restraints. He was no longer topless either; a white t-shirt had somehow found itself onto his body with the same style pants as before. Without even thinking about his actions, he stretched out with his mind; but he heard nor felt anything. Glancing around, he saw the room was lined with some sort of metal...the same material Shaw's helmet was made out of. _Brilliant._ He rubbed his eyes absentmindedly, a faint cry suddenly hitting his eardrums. He looked to its source, a small incubator on the opposite side of the bed.

Charles stood up slowly, being mindful of the stitches and the fact that he hadn't walked properly in a long while, and made his way over to his child. The telepath, with tears falling onto his pale cheeks, stuck a single finger out and touched his son's hand for the first time, the baby immediately grabbing hold. The child had a small head of light brown hair and Charles swore he saw a glint of green as his son attempted to open his eyes. Never had Charles felt so overpowered by emotion, so filled with happiness in such a generally hopeless situation.

"Nothing quite like mother-son bonding time, huh?"

Charles turned quickly to see Shaw closing the door behind him, the helmet taking a proud place upon the man's head once again. The child's hand was still enclosing Charles' finger, making both of them feel safer.

"You're probably wondering why there's been such a drastic change in scenery."

Charles nodded, keeping a sharp eye on his son as Shaw spoke.

"I'm not _all_ evil. I know it's important for a child to bond with its mother for a small while before it goes away," Shaw explained, a sinister tone naturally being portrayed in his words.

The telepath stood up straight, ignoring the pain coming radiating through his abdomen from the stitches, and took his son carefully into his arms, holding him close to his chest. "You're not taking him. I won't let you. Not now, not ever. Erik and I will stop you."

Shaw laughed and stepped closer to the pair, leaning into Charles' face, his breath intimidating warm on the telepath's gently face. He snarled. "We'll see, boy. _We'll see_."

The helmeted man moved to touch the baby's head, Charles having his wits about him and pressing the child to his chest protectively, a scowl etching across his face.

" _Don't,"_ Charles insisted.

With a smug expression, Sebastian left the room, locking the door behind him in a hasty manner. The child began to cry at the sound of the door slam and sensing the stress in his mother's mind. Charles immediately sat down on the soft bed and began to rock his son back and forth in his arms. He stroked the boy's cheek lightly as he began to settle down.

"It's okay, Luke," he whispered, kissing the baby's forehead and holding him to his chest, "Your father's coming to save us...I know he is."

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

Erik had never experienced déjà vu up until this moment as he stood wearily next to the wreckage of the plane, the crew members disembarking with shaking legs. No one had been too badly injured by the looks of things, thanks to Hank's quick thinking. Beast had managed to bring the plane down relatively gently onto a deserted-looking beach with an even more deserted-looking area. Erik felt like he was responsible for their crash, what with him rushing for Hank to finish the plane within his own deadline. He shrugged the guilt off with a swift roll of his shoulders and blinked a few times, getting his eyes used to the bright, new environment.

"Are we even _close_ to where Charles is?" Raven asked as she attempted to massage her own stiff neck.

Beast began tapping away at a small, technical-looking device he had pulled out from the wreckage. It beeped quickly as Hank muttered calculations to himself, something about latitudes and longitudes, Erik managed to pick up.

"4.21 miles away," Beast confirmed as he pointed confidently in a general southwards direction, "if we keep to these coordinates then it shouldn't take us _too_ long to reach Charles."

No one asked how long it would actually take them to reach their destination since Erik had already started walking with haste, his clenched fists swinging at his sides as he took each step, determination coursing its way through his veins. He _knew_ that Charles had been forced to have the baby; he just _knew_ it _._ What bothered him most was the fact that he hadn't been there for Charles when it had happened...he'd missed the birth of his own child. Again, he tried to dismiss the sense of guilt that had been plaguing him for months as he believed it was his own fault that his telepath had been taken from him in the first place.

If only he was stronger. The thought of only being mere miles away from rescuing the one he loved was the only thing that was keeping him standing.

That, and the thought of killing Sebastian Shaw.

X...X

Charles sat cross-legged on the comfortable bed, Luke settled calmly in his arms. He held a warm bottle of milk to his son's lips as the child sucked eagerly on it. Charles had insisted that Shaw inform him of the journey the milk had been through before its arrival, Charles being more than reluctant to use food that _Shaw_ had given him...but what choice did he have?

If he didn't accept food off of his kidnapper, then where was he expected to get it from? The last thing Charles needed was for Luke to become malnourished.

The child began to become distressed and attempted to push the bottle away from his mouth while his mother attempted to hush him by rocking him gently and setting the bottle aside.

Brown hairs were already beginning to show upon Luke's head, Charles stroking his son's cheek with his thumb as he admired what brilliant emerald eyes he had. Looking down on Luke's gentle face, all Charles could see was Erik despite the boy only being seven hours old.

_Erik._

The telepath was sure Erik was coming for him. He had to be. Surely his elite team of mutant teenagers and a CIA Agent would be enough to track him down, though even Charles didn't know of his own exact whereabouts. All he knew was he desperately wanted to be _home._

Shaw had pretty much left them to their own devices after leaving with haste and a cunning gleam in his eye. Only a few essentials had been left for them in the sealed room: blankets, nourishments and clean clothing. The pure white items of clothing disgusted Charles greatly but they would have to suffice for now...at least Luke's top had a small picture of a grey mouse on it.

There seemed to be a sudden shift in the atmosphere as Luke cuddled himself closer into Charles' chest as the telepath heard the door knob creek and imperious footsteps echoed through the room.

"Good evening, Charles," Shaw said with a grin, "how are things?"

"Fine, thank you," the telepath replied bluntly as he continued to rock Luke back and forth.

The helmeted man stepped closer to the pair and sat himself down on the bed with cunning ease, like a snake tempting its prey into its coils. Luke let out a soft whimper as Shaw leant in closer to them and set his hands down on the bed either side of Charles, his gaze fiercely locked on the child.

" _Don't,"_ the telepath snapped and tried to shield Luke's face from Shaw's line of vision. "He isn't part of your scheme for mutant domination...just let me take him away. You can do as you wish with me," tears began to brim in Charles eyes as his soft gaze lay upon his son's face, "just _please_ let me take Luke away."

"So 'Luke' is his name?"

The telepath nodded.

"Meaning 'light' in its original Latin-American form. Appropriate." Sebastian gave a smile which may have seemed completely genuine and full of positive meaning to an ordinary person; but Charles knew there was something more hidden beneath the surface. The grin that painted its way across the man's face struck fear through Charles' entire being.

"How so?" Charles asked with apprehension, unsure of whether he really wanted to know what cryptic thoughts were running through the madman's head.

Shaw scoffed. "Well," he began, "let's just say he's going to awaken a _light_ in those who never knew they had it in them to act upon." He and Charles locked sharp glares for a few seconds before Shaw made a swift movement and stroked the top of Luke's head with a gentle hand. The telepath attempted to scramble away from Shaw's touch while the child became very unsettled.

"I _said_ _ **don't**_ ," Charles growled and immediately began to rub the spot on Luke's head where Shaw had touched.

Shaw held his hand up but leant closer to Charles.. "Don't worry," he mocked, "It'll all be over soon." He kisses Charles on the temple and smirked before making his way over to the door and exited with haste just as he had entered before.

Charles exhaled deeply and placed Luke down gently on the bed beside him, the telepath lying down next to him with an arm wrapped protectively around him. Luke wrapped his hand around one of Charles' fingers and held on tightly, his cries suddenly ceasing and the silence settled itself around them once again.

X...X

Unsure of how much time had actually passed since Shaw had left them; Charles was suddenly awoken when he heard the sound of liquid being poured. His gaze immediately looked to his son, who was still sleeping peacefully at his side. A blanket had been draped over them both as well as a little brown teddy bear placed next to Luke and a simple white cot next to the bed.

"Sleep well?"

The telepath looked to the source of the voice, expecting to see a tough-looking man and was surprised when he was met with the soft stare of a fairly small man who was no older than 40 and dressed in a typical doctor's uniform. Though he wore a helmet resembling Shaw's, Charles could see that he had a full head of curly brown hair and the eyes of a fully-tamed house cat. Though his German accent was very thick, Charles didn't feel threatened by him at all. 

"Er, yes...thank you," the telepath replied as he sat up, his abdomen still tender due to the number of fragile stitches still healing.

"Good," the man acknowledged, "I am Doctor Alexander Engel...I am the one who conducted your operation."

"I'm Charles Xavier, though I presume you were already of my name...and _what_ I am."

Engel nodded.

Charles picked Luke up in the gentlest manor possibly and placed him into the cot that had appeared whilst they were sleeping. He pulled one of the small blankets over the boy and turned back to face Alexander. "I suppose I should thank you for carrying out the procedure successfully."

"It is my job to do caesarean section operations well," Engel explained, "but never on male person before." He gestured over to the cot. "He is beautiful baby. You be a very proud parent."

Charles attempted to smile at the man's poor use of English but confusion had embedded itself into his mind. What the hell was he supposed to make of this man? He'd carried out a life-threatening operation for both Charles and his child against the telepath's will all based on the command of Sebastian Shaw. If Charles could indeed trust him then why did the man have a telepathy-repelling helmet on? _Suspicious_ , Charles thought.

"I have brought you food and drink," Alexander said as he stepped aside to reveal a plate consisting of rice, meat and vegetables. "It is important that you keep your strength up to care for your son." He picked up a glass of water and handed it to Charles with a smile, the telepath reluctant to take it.

"I understand your reluctance, Charles...but I mean no harm to either of you. Though Doktor Schmidt seeks to control, I only seek to help you and your child in any way I can." Alexander held a hand up in convincing innocence and placed the glass back down on the table. He then removed the helmet from his head and threw it onto the bed. "See for yourself, Charles. I was called in especially to help you...I am a doctor, I _care_ for people. I know not what Schmidt is plotting."

It felt so relieving for Charles to use his powers for the first time in months. Despite this, Charles stuck to looking for what Alexander wanted him to look for; he didn't venture near any of the man's private thoughts. Even after being deprived and separated off from the world for months, Charles was still standing firmly by his beliefs.

Alexander _was_ telling the truth. Indeed, Engel had _no idea_ what Shaw was planning to do with Charles and Luke and he _was_ roped into this whole situation because he's the best in the business at carrying out successful C-sections, which is what Shaw needed to ensure.

"I...thank you for allowing me to do that, Alexander," Charles smiled and stepped closer to the doctor.

"Most welcome," Engel replied and placed the helmet back on his head. He pointed to the helmet, "just so I do not get in trouble with Herr Doktor," he explained.

The pair shook hands before Engel made his way towards the door, looking back with a genuine smile on his face to see Charles take a much needed drink of water from the glass.

Alexander bumped into Shaw as soon as he stepped into the corridor and had locked the door, the younger man jumping at the sight of Schmidt.

"So? How is he?" Shaw asked with a fierce and demanding tone.

Engel removed the helmet and smiled. "Good. He is doing well. I am pleased with his progress."

They began to walk down the corridor together until they reached a pair of large double doors. Shaw put a hand up to stop Engel from entering. "One more thing, Doctor...did you see him drink from the glass of water?"

"Yes. He took a drink before I left him. Why?"

Shaw grinned cunningly as he opened the large doors and stepped inside, shutting it with haste before Alexander could ask any more inquisitive questions. "Excellent," he said aloud to himself as he looked upon the great machine in front of him.

_Cerebro 2.0._


	11. Chapter 11

After what seemed like an eternity of walking under a warm sun and clear sky, the _covert mutant and Moira rescue team_ , as Sean and Alex had poetically named them, came across civilisation in the form of a small town which seemed to have developed around a bay. It was desolate, with no sign of life anywhere; only abandoned boats and a few trucks dotted here and there. There was little vegetation to be seen which made the area seem even more untrustworthy.

"What now?" Raven asked as they stood on a hill overlooking the almost-wasteland.

"See that building right in the centre?" Hank pointed to a rather small-looking tower with a docking area next to it. "Shaw _should_ be keeping Charles in there. It's the old Soviet base so it should stretch backwards into the hill and there should be a few floors underneath the actual infrastructure itself."

"So difficult to navigate through, then," Moira commented, "brilliant."

The team moved closer towards their desired destination, all pairs of eyes darting about looking for any signs of Shaw's affiliates who may become aware of their presence. They managed to get within a suitable distance of it so they decided to stop and come up with an appropriate plan.

"We need to get in as quick and as silent as possible," Erik said as the six of them crouched and huddled together. "We hold together and split up if necessary. Take out anything or anyone who gets in your way, understood?" The other five nodded. "Good. If we get split up and you find Charles, state it over your intercoms, clear? Myself or Moira will pick it up." The metal-manipulator pointed to the small signal-boosters which Hank had installed into their suits and then to the radio which the two wore in their ears: equipment 'borrowed' from CIA. He then stood up, the others copying their leader's actions. A twinge of guilt echoed in Erik's mind concerning the safety of the 'children', but they were doing this because they wanted to, not because someone had convinced them. They loved Charles too and Erik had to remember that. They silently made their way over to the base, hiding behind old buildings as the did so, trying to ensure no one knew of their arrival.

Once they were adjacent to their destination, Erik nodded prominently to them. There was a small pathway leading into a tunnel, with a canal running parallel to it. As they made their way in slowly in a single-file line, they noticed it was dimly lit and completely unmanned. Pipes ran above their heads and as they made their way further in, they heard the sounds of machinery. The noises were faint but Erik could sense the metal, his fingertips twitching at the feeling. The team were then presented with a flight of descending concrete steps. Eric made his way down first, palms outstretched ready to hurl metal at anyone who dared challenge him. He heard, and felt, Moira load a gun behind him whilst Beast let out a low growl.

They were ready.

Soon enough, voices could be heard as they descended the staircase, the sound of heavy clanging hitting their eardrums. They abruptly came to the bottom and found themselves staring down into a wide room, separating off into various corridors. If you didn't have the previous knowledge, you would not have been aware you were underground. Cream pained walls and matching tiled flooring was the chosen décor of the room, with large, varnished living areas in various spots. Though soldiers could be seen pacing around, offical-looking men in suits were gathered in one of the living areas at the far end of the room. There were two main corridors that lead off to the room: one to the left, one to the right. The one to the left was the most heavily guarded; armed men stood with emotionless expressions on the entrance to the hallway, the one which, no doubt, guarded something precious.

 _Charles or Cerebro?_ Erik thought. He doubted very much that Shaw would keep the two close together. Nothing quite like making a prisoner walk a few minutes before being greeted with their doomed fate.

Erik had a choice to make. Whichever corridor he chose, he could only _pray_ that it would be Charles he would find. He turned around to face the group in order to clearly give his instructions.

"Right. We'll have to split up...three down one corridor and three down the other. The left is most heavily guarded so Sean, Alex and I will take that one. Raven, Hank and Moira will make their way down the other. Take down anything _and_ anyone. Understood?"

They nodded. The last thing Erik had wanted was for the group to be split up but they couldn't take the chance of all charging down one corridor and being captured...or killed.

Beast growled as they poised themselves, ready to reveal themselves to the enemy.

"Good luck," was the last thing Erik said to them as the leapt from their hidden position and the shouts of ' _intruders_!' took over.

X...X

_2 hours previous..._

Sebastian gripped the steel door handle with a powerful hand. He was very confident that the drug he had slipped into the telepath's cup of water had taken its effect on him now. He entered the room quietly but with a quick stride. Charles' still form was curled up on the bed, with the child making murmuring noises as he lay next to his sleeping mother. Shaw shut the door in a loud manner in an attempt to see if Charles was just sleeping or whether his consciousness had been pulled away from him by the drug.

The telepath did not stir, confirming to the man that the drug had been successful.

He made his way around the large bed towards where the child lay.

"Hey, little fella," Shaw teased as he picked Luke up and sat in a sideways position on the bed. The telepath looked at peace, the man thought, calmer than he had seen him in a long time. With his free hand, Shaw stretched out and cupped Charles' warm cheek, caressing the soft skin with his thumb. After a few quiet seconds of victorious contemplation, Shaw stood and made his way towards the door with the baby still in his arms. Luke began to cry as he was taken further and further away from his mother, outstretching his little arms as an expression of his discomfort at the distance between them.

Before leaving, Shaw angled his head so he could see Charles out of the corner of his eye and whispereda cocky " _I win"_ before closing the wooden door behind him.


	12. Chapter 12

Erik could not prevent a wide smile from spreading across his face as he pulled the metal weaponry into to faces of the soldiers who wielded them, knocking each man to the ground instantaneously. Clearly, he thought, Shaw had not expected them to find his base, never mind penetrate it. Sean screeched and Alex fired at the soldiers who dared to attack Erik from behind.

The trio soon came to the end of the corridor where two large wooden doors faced each other. Alex and Sean had been distracted further back from where Erik had just come so he was forced to make the quick decision on his own. He heard, and felt, the scratching of metal machinery coming from the door to his left and heard nothing from the right one.

A sudden instinct propelled his hand forwards and he flung the right door open to reveal an expensively decorated room with a large bed in the centre. A pale figure dressed in white clothing lay still in the bed with, what looked like, a small, blue blanket next to it. Erik edged slowly forwards, his heart pounding in his chest. When Charles' peaceful face came into his eye line, Erik's breath hitched. Climbing onto the bed, the metal-manipulator immediately placed two fingers on the telepath's neck, relief flowing through him when a pulse hit his fingertips. Erik placed a hand on Charles' shoulder and shook it, causing a weak moan from him. Another object them caught Erik's eye: an incubator across the other side of the bed...an _empty_ incubator. He picked up the blue blanket that lay next to Charles.

_Cold._

Shaw had their baby in his clutches.

Erik shook Charles' shoulder and called out his name but to no avail. Without thinking, Erik pulled the telepath's limp body into his arms and pressed their foreheads together in a desperate attempt to restrengthen their link. He tightly scrunched his eyes closed, willing Charles to wake up. He didn't even hear Alex and Sean crash into the room and tightly shut bolting the door locked behind them.

"Please, Charles," Erik whispered, "I need you to come back to me."

A light spark flickered in Erik's mind. "Come back."

He opened his eyes only to see Charles staring back at him.

"Erik?"

The metal-manipulator exhaled sharply with relief and pulled his telepath in closer, wrapping his arms around his waist. Charles winced at the pressure behind put on the stitches on his abdomen but shrugged off the pain and wrapped his arms around Erik's neck as their minds became entwined once more.

"Luke!" Charles suddenly shouted as he pulled away from their embrace.

"Our son?" Erik questioned.

Charles nodded as he franticly looked around the room. He threw himself off the bed but failed to stand when the pain from his abdomen radiated through his lower half and almost collapsed to the floor with a cry. Erik was soon by his side, holding him up.

"Shaw must've taken him...Erik, we have to find him. Now!"

After refusing to be carried, Charles threw one arm around Erik's neck while his partner supported his back with an arm around his hip. They hobbled towards the door and poised themselves for their exit after agreeing that the door _opposite_ must be where Cerebro is...and, most likely, where they would find Shaw and their son. 

"Ready?" Erik asked.

"Let's go," Charles replied with a confident nod as Alex flung the door open to find Shaw standing right before them. Hank, Moira and Raven were on their knees to the right of the man, with their hands placed vulnerably on their heads.

"Ah, Erik. I see you've found my prize," he teased, causing Erik to tighten his grip around his telepath's waist. "Would you care to see my _newest_ creation?" He gestured to the open door opposite them where blue lights shone brightly from inside.

"...Cerebro," Charles whispered.

Shaw smirked as he gestured for his soldiers to restrain Alex and Sean, forcing them on their knees with the other three. Erik and Charles slowly hobbled forwards, following Shaw into the bright room, with armed soldiers watching their every move. Once they were inside, the door was closed behind them and the pair was forced against a wall, with the armed men trapping them. True, Erik could use their metal weapons against them but the risk was too high, what with Charles still very weak, their son to locate _and_ escape without harm.

Cerebro didn't look toodifferent to Charles. There was _still_ all the machinery surrounding a stand in the middle but instead of a handrail and a helmet, Shaw had installed a small cradle with many surrounding wires.

The realisation hit Charles and Erik like a tonne of bricks.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Charles yelled, as he attempted to lurch forward, only to be held back by Erik who feared that Shaw would show no mercy should they protest against his plans.

"On the contrary, my young telepath," the helmeted-man replied as he turned to face them. "Watch me." He gestured another man to come forward, Charles recognising him to be the man who had performed his caesarian...the doctor who had given him the drug. Dr Engel stepped forward from the shadows with Luke cradled closely to his chest.

"Alexander! Don't do this! I _trusted_ you!"

Shaw stepped forward. "Hand me the child, Engel...and I suggest you do it quickly. Or _else_."

Alexander hesitated as he made direct eye contact with the parents of the baby he held in his shaking grip. Whilst Shaw was occupied, Erik conjured all the power he had within him to disarm and incapacitate all the armed guards in the immediate vicinity. Anticipating Erik's next move, Charles managed to twist out of Erik's grip and lean against the wall for support as his partner leapt forward towards Shaw. Alexander stepped back as Erik flung the guns at Shaw to, at least, knock him off balance.

This did not go according to plan.

Sebastian swung around first, his fist contacting with Erik's head, sending the metal-manipulator flying across the room.

"Erik!" Charles yelled as he made an attempt to reach his fallen partner on the other side of the small room but was too weak to move.

Shaw snatched the crying baby from Engel's arms and pushed the man away.

"Now," Shaw smiled, "where were we?"


	13. Chapter 13

Charles tried again and again to rise from his fallen position but no attempt prevailed. He had, somehow, ended up on his knees with one arm supporting his weight and the other clutching his stomach. From the wetness he could feel against his hand, his antics had caused some of the stitches to tear open and bleed. The telepath gritted his teeth as he attempted to reach Erik through their mind link but Charles' mental shields were still heavily damaged and his partner had taken quite the knock to the head.

"Shaw... _please_ stop this!" Charles shouted as he watched the man settle Luke down into the cot and place, what looked to be, a circlet on his child's head. Thanks to the cot's transparent sides, Charles could still see his baby wriggling about in his uncomfortable white clothing.

"Use me instead!" He yelled, "please! I'll do anything you want...just let Erik and our child go..." By now, Charles could not prevent the tears from streaming down his cheeks. His heart pounded in his chest, like it was echoing words like _useless_ and _hopeless_ through his body with each passing beat.

"Why ever would I let my key to world domination slip from my fingers, Charlie? With his untamed mind, I can harness young Luke's stored telepathic power and use it to take over the minds of _all_ the mutants across the globe." The tone the man used displayed no emotion whasoever.

Charles frowned in confusion. "But...its the humans you despise. Why control mutants?"

"Because, my young friend...mutants can kill."

With the most evil smirk Charles had ever laid his eyes upon, Shaw gave a gesture to one of his affiliates in a lab coat who began pressing buttons and inputting statistics into the huge computer that was _Cerebro 2.0._ Luke began to cry very loudly as Charles' mind was hit with a sudden wave of intense fear. Luke was projecting his emotions and, though Charles wanted his son's pain to cease, he hoped that the same wave of fear would connect with Erik's mind and wake him up.

He was right.

Erik moaned as he pushed himself off the hard ground, just in time to see Shaw standing by the control panel of the machine and activate it by pulling a lever. Pain was then all he knew.

X...X

Even from their positions in the central room of the base, the X-Men heard the cries of a young child as a bright light shone from the room where Shaw had lured Charles and Erik into. Aside from Moira, the mutants simultaneously clutched their heads in pain as they felt like a hot needle had pierced their minds, invaiding every thought they had and every memory they held dear.

"What's happening?!" Moria yelled as she attempted to get hold of Raven who was writhing on the floor next to her. All the soldiers in the room covered their ears as Sean's screams reverberated through the room.

Shaw stood contently over the crying child as _Cerebro 2.0_ used Luke's vulnerable and untamed telepathy to latch on to any mutant mind it could find. Erik managed to crawl his way over to Charles without Shaw noticing, taking each move very slowly as a result of his dizziness. He flung his hand out in a gesture that would, hopefully deactivate the machine. The lever moved into the stereotypical 'off' position and Erik breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

The machine did not stop.

"It can't be switched off, my young friend. Nothing can stop it now," Shaw laughed as turned to face the broken pair of mutants.

The telepath was breathing heavily as he concentrated hard in an attempt to keep his mental shields at as fuller capacity as he could manage as well as protecting Erik's mind from unwanted and dangerous invasion. If either of them were lost to Shaw's cause, there would be no hope.

Knowing they weren't getting anywhere by sitting in pain, Erik stood up slowly, lifting Charles with him. The telepath wrapped his arm around Erik's neck while the metal-manipulator held an arm around Charles' back, fully supporting him.

"You have to _destroy_ the machine, Erik! There's no other way!"

Erik nodded with apprehension. "But...Luke..?"

"I'll protect our son, Erik. Just... _hurry_."

Charles held out a shaking hand and Erik grasped hold of it tightly. A bright energy now flowed between them, like on that very first day when Charles had jumped into the water to save Erik from drowning. The first time they had touched and linked minds.

"We have to do this, Charles," Erik said, loud enough for his telepath to hear him, "together."

Rage burned deep from within Erik's soul whilst serenity emitted from Charles' heart. Together, they took up their protective stance against the seemingly unbeatable Sebastian Shaw with both fire and ice burning in their eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

Shaw chuckled to himself as he watched the drama unfold before his very eyes. How sweet, that Charles and Erik believed that, by holding hands, they could defeat him and stop his plans. He could hear the screams of Erik's pitiful rescue ensemble from down the corridor. No doubt Azazel, Riptide and Emma were all clutching their foreheads somewhere too. _Collateral damage_ , Shaw thought with a smirk. He watched in silence as Charles' and Erik's eyes grew brighter and brighter...and a twinge of panic sparked inside of him.

The two men stood in front of him were two of the most powerful mutants on the _planet_. If anyone stood a chance of diminishing his plans, it would be them. Charles was now standing on his own with no support from Erik yet their hands still entwined, with Erik now having his palm outstretched and slowly clenching it into a fist whilst Charles pressed two fingers were pressed against his temple.

With an angry gesture of his hand, Shaw signalled for Engel to send for back-up. The doctor moved towards the door with haste but came to a sudden halt and did not exit. Instead, he bolted the large door tightly shut, trapping them inside. The sound of crunching metal suddenly hit Shaw's eardrums accompanied by a sharp realisation. He turned quickly on his heels to see his machine being contorted inwards and shards of metal grating against one another. Luke's crying had ceased and Shaw could see that Charles had his burning blue eyes locked onto his child, his expression contorted with pain.

" _No!"_ Sebastian cursed, taking a few strides towards Charles and Erik. He was suddenly stopped in his tracks when he felt numerous bullets penetrated his body. He glanced up to see Engel holding a gun in his shaking hands.

"You fool," Shaw laughed as he clenched his fists tightly in front of his chest as he prepared the stored energy to be released. Shaw began to release a white-hot burst of energy directly at the two mutants in front of him. He began to turn his palms around but, at the final second, Charles' glowing eyes locked onto his and Shaw saw the burning, blue fire.

" _Enough,"_ the telepath shouted in a voice that sounded so unlike the young man Shaw had kept captive for all these months. His tone was dark and low, and would have caused Erik some concern if he weren't concentrating so intensely on his task at hand.

Shaw staggered back in a mix of horror and panic. He was _sure_ he had heard the telepath's voice inside his head. _Impossible_!

" _Think again,"_ the voice said. A high-pitched piercing noise shot through Shaw's mind as his knees bucked and he grabbed at the helmet in an attempt to remove it from his head. Charles held his palm out directly at the crouching man, tormenting him. Shaw's pained cries and begs momentarily knocked Erik's concentration and he averted his eyes from the crumbling machine to his partner stood next to him. Charles' expression had turned to rage, with his nose scrunched and his teeth gritted. The worry flooded through Erik's veins but there was nothing he could do at the moment. With one final clench of his fist, the machine that was _Cerebro 2.0_ imploded and clattered in a heap on the ground as sparks of electricity jolted out from its control panel. As the machine's power overheated and completely shut down, the whirring and buzzing sounds it had been making ceased, leaving Shaw's gasps and Luke's murmuring the only noises to be heard.

Erik's knees almost gave out beneath him but he managed to prevent himself from collapsing completely.

"Charles!" Erik cried as he stood up to his full height and put himself in between Shaw and his shaking telepath. The latter had shifted from a state of equilibrium between rage and serenity to being consumed with sheer rage. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he clenched his fist at Shaw, who had managed to rid himself of the helmet in an attempt to cease the piercing noise.

"It's over, Charles. _Stop_!" Erik gripped Charles' shoulders tightly and stared down into his eyes, the severity of the glowing startling him. The telepath only gritted his teeth harder and Shaw cried out.

" _He deserves the onslaught,"_ Charles' dark voice replied as he thrust his fist forward and fired a bright psionic blast at Sebastian. The wave of energy struck the man at full-force, knocking him backwards and causing a startled and pained scream to be ripped from his throat. He abruptly struck the wall at the back of the room with no physical injuries; only severe mental harm was caused. An utterly vacant expression now lay on Shaw's face, his eyes blank and unseeing.

Erik gasped and stepped closer to his telepath and cupped his cheek, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "Come back to me, " he whispered. "This isn't you, Charles. _My_ Charles."

The telepath momentarily closed his eyes and wavered slightly on his feet. When he reopened them, Erik could see that the blue fire was slowly burning out. "Erik?...I-I'm sorry...I-I can't..."

"Shh. Yes you can, Charles. I need you to stay with me...Our _son_ needs you."

"Luke!" The name sounded like an anguished gasp as Charles fell forwards in an attempt to reach his child, Erik catching him before he fell too far. They both collapsed and ended up with Charles' lying across Erik's lap, the telepath slowly drifting out of consciousness.

At that moment, Raven's voice came with a bang on the door. Erik managed to catch the gaze of Doctor Engel, who was currently sat quivering behind the machine's broken control panel, and motioned for him to unlock the door. Alexander did as he was told and the mutants came running in, Raven and Moira dropping to their knees next to Erik and Charles.

"Raven," Erik began, "...can you...er..." He stopped mid-sentence as Luke began to cry from the cot where he still lay. Raven hurried over and gently lifted the small boy into her arms, cooing over him. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the baby was seemingly unharmed. Moira quickly removed her jacket and Raven preceded to wrap her nephew in it.

"See, Charles?" Erik said, touching the telepath's face gently. "He's fine. He's safe."

"What about Shaw?" Hank asked.

"Charles hit him with a burst of psychic energy, from what I could tell. He lies at the back of the room...dead, I hope." Erik replied, stroking a strand of hair behind Charles' ear. "He managed to use his telepathy against him...to get the helmet off him...somehow."

The _X-Men_ gasped in unison.

"I don't know how he did it. He _shouldn't_ have been able to do it," the metal-manipulator quickly said, before any of them had the opportunity to ask such a silly question. He turned his attention back to his telepath who was on the verge of passing out, Erik continuously whispering " _stay with me"_ to him.

"We have to get out of here," Alex suddenly said as the shouts of soldiers could be heard from down the corridor. They knew Shaw's affiliates would _not_ be pleased to find him brain-dead and _Cerebro_ completely destroyed.

"Hurry," Alexander shouted to them from the back of the room. "There is other doorway out of here to Dr. Schmidt's plane...hurry now!"

Without a moment's haste, Erik hoisted his telepath into his arms, being extremely careful of both his delicate mental and physical state. Raven followed next, with Luke wrapped in a bundle in her arms, then Moira with Sean, Alex and Hank all covering them as they followed Alexander out of the room, down a long and dark corridor until they reached a metal door at the very end. Erik forced it open with a swift movement of his hand, shutting it behind them once they were all out onto the landing platform where Shaw's private plane was. They all sprinted up the ramp and onto the plane as Erik heard the door they had just come through scraping off its hinges.


	15. Chapter 15

Emma Frost, Azazel and Riptide all stood before the plane with solemn expressions on their faces.

"Erik, we've got company!" Moira shouted as she looked out of one of the windows to see the three mutants standing on the landing pad. They didn't look like they were making any attempt to prevent their escape.

Erik settled an unconscious Charles down on one of the emergency beds in the large plane and rolled his shoulders back, gently stroking the telepath's astray hair from his face.

"If they become aggressive, leave without me. Is that understood?" Erik muttered to Hank, who nodded in response, as he descended from the plane and took strong steps towards Shaw's associates. The adrenaline from the previous situation in the lab still rushed through his veins, making him feel like there wasn't anything he could destroy.

"Erik, I believe," the woman said.

Erik smiled. proudly, triumph in his expression."Your leader has been defeated."

"We are aware," Azazel replied, his demonic tail twitching behind him.

The woman smiled. "We also know what _you_ did to take him down. We could use you, Erik."

Erik's expression turned to one of confusion. " _Use me?"_ He echoed. "I don't follow."

Emma shrugged. "You hate humans, as did Shaw. You could revolutionise the world with those attitudes...put humans in their place and rule over all!"

A voice within Erik's head was whispering at him to agree; he desired so strongly to prove to the world that mutants were the next step in human evolution and that there was nothing they could not accomplish. Of course, humans would fight their inevitable extinction but there was no doubt that mutants would emerge victorious in every battle; win every war.

"...Er...ik," came a weary voice from the plane's entrance. Erik turned quickly on his heels to see Charles attempting to make his way down the steps, clutching at his bloodied abdomen. His eyes were scrunched, no doubt a result from the pounding headache. "No more...fighting _."_

Erik was quick to Charles' side, holding him up as best as he could. The metal-manipulator locked gazes with Emma Frost. "You're right. Aside from Shaw, humans are the creatures I despise more than most but..." His gaze softened as he looked at Charles pained expression. "I have a family. Their safety is my priority."

The telepath's consciousness quickly left him, his knees buckling and Erik heaved him carefully up into his grasp, Charles' head lying contently against his strong shoulder. Erik turned his back on the mutants, but not before shooting a glare at them back over his shoulder. "If you _ever_ do anything to threaten the safety of those I care about, I will not hesitate to end you...mutant or not."

With that, steps of the plane withdrew and the engine roared to life. Emma held out her arms to prevent the mutants on either side of her from doing anything to harm the plane. They watched it take off and sped into the distance until it was just a dot in the sky.

"Until we meet again, Erik Lehnsherr ."

X...X

The plane journey back to Westchester was long, with a heavy silence settled over its passengers. Erik sat next to the bed where Charles lay, with Luke sleeping in his arms. His gaze shifted every couple of seconds to the telepath's peaceful face to his son's, just to make sure everything was okay. Doctor Engel had restitched Charles' wounds and assured Erik that his beloved would physically recover with no hindrances whatsoever.

"What about his mental state?" Erik inquired, but the Doctor was unable to give a definite answer, just as Erik could have guessed.

"Hank says 5 hours until we're back home," Raven said, disturbing Erik's thoughts.

He nodded in reply.

Raven leant in closer, her tone hushed. "You weren't really going to go with them, were you? Leave Charles and your son behind to conquer humanity?"

Erik scoffed. "You say that as if you don't despise the humans."

"I just don't want to be seen as _different._ I want to be proud of who I am. You looked like you were going to leave him. Leave _us."_

"I'd be lying if I said I that the option didn't cross my mind." He looked at his telepath and then down at his son, who grasped his middle finger in his tiny palm. "But I couldn't. Charles and Luke need me. I...wouldn't be able to live with the guilt."

Raven smiled but Erik didn't look up. He settled back in the chair and the girl took that as a signal to return to her chair next to Moira.

For the very first time in a long, long time, Erik felt a genuine well of happiness within him.


	16. Chapter 16

One trivial thing Charles had missed about his Westchester mansion was the feeling of the clean sheets in his bed. The very touch of the crisp fabric against his skin was a feeling he relished in, so much so he actually looked forward to getting into bed at night with a good book to read and a cup of tea on his bedside table. His senses slowly returned to him and the telepath could have sworn he felt _his_ sheets beneath his touch...and the aroma of tea in the air. He opened his eyes slowly and found himself staring up at his bedroom ceiling. A warm hand suddenly gripped his own, and he looked to see Erik sat on a chair next to him, wearing his old, black sweater. Despite the dull ache in his mind and the pain across his stomach, Charles felt as if nothing had happened to them in the past months. He felt _safe_ again.

"Morning," Charles said, as if it were a regular Sunday morning.

Erik grinned, showing all his teeth. "A good morning to you, sir," he joked, "how do you feel?"

"Like I'm a student back at university...my head aches like the hangovers I used to get." The two stared at each other for a few moments before Charles managed to push himself up on his elbows.

"Luke?"

"Ssh, don't worry, Charles." Erik pointed to an elegant cream cradle on the other side of the room. It was wood, from what Charles could make out, with carved detail on the sides. "I've just finished feeding him. He's asleep."

Before Erik could stop him, Charles was hastily on his feet, making his way over to the cradle, his long, navy pyjama bottoms covering his feet. Erik slipped his arm around the telepath's waist, seeing as Charles was already overestimating his abilities to walk without collapsing. They leant over the side of the crib to see their son dressed head-to-toe in a light blue outfit, his arms raised above his head as he contently slept.

"...Where did you get all this?" Charles gestured to the various items that were placed around the crib, including a rocking chair, a cupboard and a giant teddy bear.

"Moira and Raven volunteered to make a supply run and came back with all this. I trust them to know what's best for a newborn boy," Erik smiled.

Charles laughed. "Indeed." He raised his eyebrows looking at the piles of nappies/diapers and wet-wipes that clodded the corner. "How is everyone else?"

"They're all fine, Charles. Worried about you, obviously. Moira is settling any issues the CIA have with what happened, so _you_ don't need to worry. Doctor Engel returned home to his family after discharing you from his care, with the instruction that you're to take it easy for the next couple of weeks." Erik winked. "Just until all your wounds heal."

Charles nodded. He was disappointed that he never was able to thank Alexander Engel for all the help he had given him. Perhaps they would meet again one day. His mind became a lot calmer knowing that all was well. The two stood in silence for a few moments before Charles spoke.

"...Are you sure you're okay with all this?" Charles' gaze darted down to Luke's sleeping form and then to the small amount of space that was between them.

"Of course, Charles. Why wouldn't I?" He placed a gentle kiss on the telepath's temple, but Charles seemed to pull away.

"Because I tried to use the pregnancy against you the day I was taken. Because you weren't there at his birth. Because you didn't have _any_ say in what we named him...because I didn't think the 'family life' was something the dangerous Erik Lehnsherr would settle for."

"Charles, stop it," Erik said, his tone abrupt. He gripped Charles' shoulders and turned the telepath's body so they were face-to-face. "I'm not 'settling' for anything. I'm here because I want to be. Because I _choose_ this." He leant in, placing a light but meaningful kiss on the telepath's lips. He pulled away, his heart saddening to see a sorrowful glint in Charles' eyes. "Because I _love_ you."

The telepath met Erik's gaze and threw his arms around the strong shoulders, pulling the taller man down to his level and pressing their lips together. A well of strong emotion rippled between them as their minds became strongly connected with each other. Their moment was disrupted, however, when the sound of scratching metal hit their eardrums. The metal lamp on the bedside table next to Luke's crib was slowly contorting inwards. Charles looked at Erik, as if to ask him whether it was his doing but the mutant shook his head. They looked over the side of the crib to find Luke smiling and waving his hands in the air. Charles gently picked him up and held him.

"He...controls metal?" Erik asked.

"So I was told," Charles replied. The telepath gently placed his forefinger on his son's temple but only felt the tiniest of sparks. His expression saddened.

"What is it?" Erik asked.

Charles removed his finger and looked at Erik, tears in his eyes. "They also said he was a telepath...but...I guess Shaw's machine must've diminished his telepathic abilities."

Seeing that his beloved was clearly saddened by this, Erik pulled Charles in for an embrace. "It's okay. His skills may yet return."

"It's not that," the telepath replied, "I just despise the thought of Shaw hurting him."

"I know, I know. But he can harm us no longer," Erik replied, kissing Charles' forehead and allowing Luke to grip his little finger. The trio moved back to sit on the bed, Erik still having his arm wrapped around Charles' shoulders. Luke murmured and smiled as he held his father's finger in his grip, as his mother's sense of overwhelming happiness radiated through their bond.

"No harm shall come to either of you ever again. I promise." He pressed his lips to the top of Charles head, feeling the emotion through their connection. Erik smiled, content with having Charles' positive presence in his mind once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted on my FF.net profile but I wanted it here too.  
> Thank you so much for reading! ^__^


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